Monday Thoughts...

My first stop this morning was in Rochester, New York. I had not been there in many months. I drove right by the Kodak compound which consists of many structures including some very cool-looking old brick buildings. I happened to notice an open lot that had plenty of room to park my rig so I could walk around and snap some pictures. I didn’t stop because I wasn’t sure if I was allowed to take pictures of a Kodak institution with a Nikon. The last thing I needed or wanted was to be thrown in jail on a Monday morning.

When I backed into the dock at my first delivery, I was greeted by a man slightly older than me with a flowing mop of hair that is a certain shade of gray that I don’t how to describe. I always think he could pass for Santa’s brother, maybe cousin, if he ever decided to grow a beard. He’s a pleasant individual which was good. Everyone likes pleasant people on a Monday morning. 

As we were unloading, I heard an announcement over the public address system. “Attention Warehouse- It’s a new month, no receiving, no tagging.” 

As soon as I heard it I thought, “What the heck does that mean?” The possibilities were endless and the gentleman unloading my merchandise had departed the area, carting it away to wherever it needed to be. In addition to being an odd announcement, it seemed odder considering he was the only human I saw in the joint. He returned , I had to know.

“Hey- what did that announcement ‘No receiving, no tagging' mean?”

“Oh. It means we can’t enter anything in the computer system until they balance the books because it’s the first of the month. Why? Did you think you were in trouble?” He said this with a sly smile.

Without thinking about it I replied, “No. I didn’t want to have to think about it all day.”

He laughed and said, “Dude, you need a new job. That wouldn’t have even fazed me had I been in your shoes.” I laughed too, only because I did not know what to say.

Curiosity is one of my favorite human emotions. I like to wonder about people, places, things- I want to understand them or at least try to. I don’t have a need to know things for sure, but I would like a chance at understanding or forming an opinion. It’s not weird or rude to ask questions. They were invented for a reason and I ask them freely.

After I left, I was confused for a while. I planned to think about what I should be thinking about. Unfortunately, I had other stuff to think about, so I didn’t make much progress. I don’t know if that guy was right when he said I need a new job. I certainly wouldn’t be upset if the way I think or the questions I ask would lead me to a new career in the future.

I have one more question and this one is for you: Do you know if it’s legal to shoot a Kodak building with a Nikon? Please let me know so that I don’t have to think about that. If it’s allowed, perhaps next time I’ll stop.